APOKRIES ( CARNIVAL)
IN GREECE
• The Carnival season in Greece is known as the
Apokria ( “saying goodbye to meet"), because after
that, the 50 days of Lent before Easter start. The
second Thursday before the beginning of Lent is called
Tsikno Pempti (Smoke Thursday), a day when meat
should be cooked at every house. The celebrations
come to a head in the last week (and particularly the
last weekend) before the beginning of Lent with
Kathari Deutera (Clean or Ash Monday) . Clean
Monday is a public holiday in Greece and is marked by
meat free feasts and thflying of kites throughout the
country.
The Greek Carnival has its roots in
ancient Greece. It is connected with the
worship of Dionysus, God of wine.
• In ancient Greece, the festival in honour of Dionysus
took place in early Spring, as Dionysus symbolised
life’s rebirth after Winter. Today, carnival is held in
the same period but not on a fixed date, as it
depends on the moveable feast of Easter.
• Today, there are many different carnival
parades and festivities going on all over
Greece. Hundreds of groups take part in those
parades, and anyone who wishes to
participate can just join a group. Celebration s
stop on Clean Monday, when kitchen utensils
are cleaned of animal products because the
Lent period starts
CARNIVAL IN PATRAS
(PELOPONNEESE)
The carnival in Patras is the greatest in Greece.
There is a big float parade and thousands of masqueraders fill
the main streets of the town. The floats have themes taken
from current political and social circumstances.
• . After the Grand Parade, and when the sun
sets, the King of the Carnival is cast into
flames at the Port of Patras. This is called the
Closing Ceremony.
CARNIVAL IN XANTHI (THRAKE)
• The carnival in Xanthi is the greatest in North
Greece.
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CARNIVAL IN NAOUSA (MASEDONIA)
YENITSAROI AND BOULES
• In Naoussa, every year people celebrate the custom
of “Yenitsari” and “Boules”. Yenitsaroi are men
dressed in traditional Greek costumes and Boules are
also men dressed-up as women. They all wear
masks.
CARNIVAL IN YALAXIDI
( CENTRAL GREECE)
• The carnival in Yalaxidi is famous for the custom of “
flour war” , a strange but funny carnival custom. On
Clean Monday they throw flour and ashes at each
other, so they turn white and in a minute they’re all
covered in black!
CARNIVAL IN SKYROS
( YEROI – KORELA)
• The custom of yeroi (old men) , korela ( young
lady) and koudounati ( bell carriers) in Skyros
(an island in the Aegean Sea).
Men are dressed up as old men and a young lady and
they go around the streets of Skyros. They say funny
stories and their bells make lound noise. At the end of
the day they all dance and drink at the central square
YAITANAKI
• Yaitanaki is a traditional Carnival dance. One
of the dancers holds a pole from which 12
ribbons start . The dancers hold the colourful
ribbons and dance around the pole. The dance
symbolizes the circle of life.
FLYING A KITE ON CLEAN MONAY
• Families usually have a picnic with meat;free
food and sweets and they fly colourful kites.
They usually compete to each other on whose
kite is going to fly higher.
CARNIVAL IN CHIOS
• Almost at every village there are festivities
and dances organized during the three
carnival weeks and on Clean Monday. Groups
of people ,dressed up with no special
costumes but with everything that they find
funny, may go from house to house without
reviling who they really are
A. MOSTRA AT THIMIANA VILLAGE
Celebrations start on the last Friday of the
Carnival. The floats ,which are prepared by the
local people , are taken to the central square
and from there the float parade will start on
Sunday
More floats
TALIMI
• One of the attractions of the Mostra is the
talimi dance. It represents the fight between
the people of Thimiana and the pirates whose
attacks were very common at the island.
B. AGAS AT MESTA VILLAGE
• ". Agas “ is a very strict judge. He judges and
condemns most of the people that are
present. More over, they are obligated to buy
off their sentence. The money they offer are
given to the cultural association of the village.
More pictures
• mnhh
TYPICAL CLEAN MONDAY FOOD
( LAGANA, HALVAS, PASTELI)
BEANS, OCTAPUS, DOLMADAKIA, SEA FOOD
KIRA SARAKOSTI
Kira Sarakosti is a lady with seven legs, each one
representing the seven weeks before Easter. It
can be made by pastry or it can be made of
paper. At the end of each week you cut off a
leg and count leg and you can count the
time
days left until easter.